Chapter Four
Hannah left the third building that night and made notes on what was required. One of the poltergeists had been a little frisky, but she would gear up and come back before the night was over. Her phone alerted her with a barrage of local news.
A dark fae flew on wings of moonlight to a local hospital with an injured passenger from a rideshare.
The half dozen videos of the woman let anyone who was looking see that she was a city ambulance medic. That might be problematic.
When the videos showed her the woman's face as she turned her head slightly toward a window, she blinked. “What are the fucking odds?” Those were Isocar’s features. She paused the video and stared. “Two of them?”
She sent Neekil a text and waited. She smiled. They were going on break, and she could use a hug. She was a few minutes away, and he was worth the drive.
She parked in the lot and walked straight to the tables where the guys were all gathered together and gossiping like pigeons. Neekil looked up and held his arm out, pulling her onto his lap while the guys talked.
“Hannah, Neekil says you know the girl.”
“I know the passenger. She’s a restoration specialist. Isocar Lavrel. I met her today after she fixed Jennel’s house. What happened?”
Jennor murmured, “She was hit broadside by a cement truck. The truck ran a light, and she was the casualty. Do you know where she was coming from?”
“Lenora and Harcourt Ganger’s place. They are her family friends.”
Neekil exhaled. “Right. Where are those four?”
Hannah smiled as the XIA vehicle pulled up, and Benny and her team emerged.
Jennor walked over and spoke to them while they were in line for food, and Benny immediately picked up her phone. She spoke softly and nodded. Then she talked to Jennor. He came back and said, “Isocar used to babysit Benny. The Gangers are heading to the hospital right now.”
Hannah nodded. “Do you know where the other one is?”
Day-ek pointed at an ambulance as it rolled up. “That’s the bus.”
One of the drivers came out and got in line for food. Hannah was about to walk over when Jennel pulled up and walked over to their gathering, waving her phone. “Did you see? There’s another female dark fae here!”
Day-ek turned her around and pointed her to an ambulance. “She’s in there.”
Darting to the ambulance, Jennel walked around the emergency vehicle and tapped on the door. Hannah could see the door open, and the two had a chat. Jennel was beaming and skipping as she left the lady and returned to her guys.
Jennel beamed. “She’s going to come over tomorrow while you are all passed out.”
The brownie got into the ambulance with a food bag, and they drove off.
Hannah blinked. “That was fucking fast.”
Neekil chuckled and whispered, “Dem-rah doesn’t like an ambulance hanging around his food truck. Their food gets priority.”
Jennel heard it and was set off in peals of laughter, the septum ring gleaming in the lights of passing cars.
Hannah grinned as Day-ek pulled her onto his lap and offered her his food.
Neekil asked, “When are you getting your new marks, Day?”
“Ah, we have to set some time aside for it, and I need to practice or find someone to mark Jennel with a calm hand. I am sure that someone in the clan will be happy to do it.”
Jen grinned. “I will have to approve them.”
“Of course.”
Jen took a bite of food. “Hannah, what are you up to tonight?”
“I have to get some ingredients to purge two poltergeists and one tired soul.”
“Want company? I am bored. Corit and Greta are working on finals, and Akkas won’t let me into the kitchen.”
Day-ek grinned. “Shouldn’t you be writing?”
“Nope. I am redesigning a space station in my head, and it’s taking a while.” She took another bite.
Dem-rah came by with an order for Jennel. “You look hungry. I will never get a great-grandson out of you if you are so skinny.”
Jennel blushed. “Thanks, Godfather.”
Neekil said, “Dem-rah, do you know this woman?”
Neekil handed over his phone, and Dem-rah nodded.
“It is Nylora, the paramedic. I keep telling her to park around the corner. I didn’t know she was dark fae, but that is her.
The other woman... ah. That is Isocar. She and her grandmother were regulars twenty years ago.
” He frowned. “What happened? I just saw her.”
“Car accident. She was a passenger hit broadside.”
“Oh, and little Nylora got her to the hospital?”
Neekil nodded. “So, we have been told according to all local streams and a set of online tabloids. The glowing, flying dark fae is going viral.”
Reymark leaned over and asked, “Dem-rah, how old is she?”
The goblin king frowned. “Forty-one or forty-two. Why?”
“So, full power then.”
Dem-rah chuckled. “Oh, yes. Her scars are lovely as well. All those moon phases. I have admonished her brownie about the truck, but since she left him for an hour, she has to drive, and she’s in a mood today.”
Jennel focused on him and said, “Do you think Akkas knows how to do a cream tea? I want to make a good impression.”
Dem-rah laughed. “He knows.”
She beamed. “Good. Nylora will be a good friend. I can tell.”
Reymark said, “How can you tell, precious?”
“Same way I knew that Day-ek was mine and being with you and Jennor wouldn’t make me walk funny permanently.” She winked.
The agents and Hannah chuckled. Hannah gave Jennel the address that she was heading to and said that she would be there in half an hour.
A quick kiss to Neekil that turned into a longer kiss when he gripped her hips, and then Hannah was off to get the ingredients for the dispersal spells.
She left what had become the unofficial break room and headed to her vehicle. Time to shop to soothe some ghosts.
* * * *
Nylora sighed and finished the filing. “I am sorry for taking off.”
Skip chuckled. “Yes, I know you hate filing. Is your patient okay?”
“Still in surgery. Her right side was turned into a sandbag. Her healing will kick in but not with all that damage there. The Gangers are her family friends, and they are on their way to sit vigil.”
“Because you can’t.”
“Correct.” She checked their call sheet, and it looked like the other four rigs were evenly spread. When the next call came in, they headed out to a young werewolf attack. Lights on, sirens silent. Shifter communities got excited around the sirens.
She looked at the scrolling report. “A young werewolf, too close to the moon, did a half shift and attacked a young cousin. Both young women are stable, but the recipient of the violence needs clean-up and stitches.”
“Got it. XIA on the scene?”
“Yup. They sent the peacekeepers in.”
“Oh. Those guys.” Nylora snorted. “I am scarier than they are.”
Skip laughed. “That’s true.”
They rolled up to the house and got out, gloves on. Nylora approached the injured female with her med kit and looked around. “If you can have a seat, I can get that tear cleaned and closed.”
The girl was holding her mom’s hand. “I am just human. Will it scar?”
“Oh, right. Thank you for telling me. I can work on it so it doesn’t, and I will be super careful with the cleanout.”
The mother smiled. “This is a second marriage for me, and we have been here for six months. Rose is having trouble fitting in.”
Nylora smiled. “I get that. As soon as I get you cleaned up, I will have a chat with the people in charge.”
She sat the girl down on a toolbox, and Nylora said, “I am sorry, but I have to cut your shirt away, Rose.”
Rose sniffled and nodded.
The sleeve and most of the shoulder came off. Nylora lined up the saline bottles and cleanser and got to work.
She kept up light chatter about family and holidays while she got each tooth mark cleared out completely, numbed it and then whispered a spell over her needle and filament.
While she sewed, one of the XIA agents came over. “Nylora, how did you get stuck on nights?”
“I requested it, Buzz. How did you get stuck here?”
“The team we are subbing for is on vacation.”
“Ah. When do you switch back to days?”
“Two more weeks. One of the team is getting married and having a vacation. It was easier to tag us in than find a sub.”
“How are Snort and Stomp making the transition?”
Buzz laughed. “They are doing pretty well. Stomp wants to come over here and chat with you.”
“Good for him. I have twenty more stitches to put in, then the wound care, and then have a chat with the folks in charge.”
“So, he’s good to come now.”
“Yes, Buzz, as long as Rose doesn’t mind?”
Rose blinked and whispered, “Which one is he?”
“The hot brunette with white flame in his eyes.”
“Oh, yes, please.” Rose blushed.
Nylora snorted softly as Buzz got up with a chuckle. Stomp was very nice to look at. He looked like a bronze-and-black statue come to life, and he and Snort were at home on the night shift. Buzz was having trouble adapting, but hopefully, he could manage a few more weeks.
The soft footfalls let her know that Stomp was behind her. “Medic Mills.”
“Hey, Stomp.”
“Why do you call me that?”
“You know why. It’s fitting. This is Rose. How is her step-cousin?”
“A little shaken up. Her wolf took control.”
“Can you call a social worker?”
“Why?”
“Because my patient isn’t human, and this is an entire village of predators. So, until her own beast rises and understanding can happen, she needs to be somewhere safe.”
Rose looked at her, and Nylora glanced at her. The girl whispered, “How did you know?”
“Little things. Your cousin doesn’t act like a mean girl, and everyone here wants to comfort both of you, so her beast sensed something that no one knew was there. You aren’t the first. You just need to stay away until you manifest.”
“Oh, that is why you were asking about my family.”
“Yes. I suspect your father was part prey animal. Even if it didn’t rise for him, it is doing it for you. On the plus side, there is a huge family in your future.”
Rose blinked. “What?”